Projects S&H Flathead FED build thread

OK, thanks to Roseville Carl looking as he's having too much fun I've been thinking I got to put together a simple flat motored FED.
My stepson and I recently opened a new shop (he drug me out of retirement) and we picked up some new equiptment for doing cage work so that helped. I got my stash of parts so now is as good of time as ever!
I want the car to look like it might of been built in the mid 50's or so but I also want it to p*** tech at our track, NHRA rules. After looking at bunches of early fed's trying to come up with a style I decided just to start from scratch, just like a guy in his garage would do. Picked some style clues from several different cars, closest one look wise would be the Moon car due to the double hoop roll bars. Started today bending up some tube and tacking it up on the frame table. First pics, maybe you can see where it's going. I'll post more pic's this weekend when I get the ch***is a little farther along, unfortunatally I ran out of tube and my supplier won't have any more till Friday. Should have the ch***is mocked together by the weekend and see how it will work out. It'll work out to about a 100" wheelbase. Kinda a new thing for me, I've built a bunch of door slammers but this will be my first FED.



Plans for now I'll be using a carburated 274" 59 AB, more of a stout street motor then a race motor. That might change later but maybe not, depends on how it does and how much I can resist spending the $$$ for something faster! I'm adapting it to a Saginal 3 speed and will run a 9" rear. Gotta have a clutch, plan on using 2nd and 3rd only. Front will be all early Ford with split bones, cheap and simple.
I'll be updating this tread as it progresses, follow along if your interested and feel free to add comments/ suggestions, as I said this is a new venture for me and any help would be welcome!

 

cool of course you know I must subscribe to this thread. I might think about a little more wheelbase though........

 

Hey Carl, hoped you would chime in! Wheelbase is still open and I've debated it. I know the issues with short w/b but then I'm not sure I'll have enough power to make it an issue! Guess I'm leaning toward 100" to help capture the early "look".
Might sound stupid but this is what I call a pratice exersise. Got a feeling what will happen is when I get the erge to go faster I'll be wanting enough changes to warrent new longer & lighter ch***is. We work with tubing here every day so not a big deal to turn this one into a wallhanger if it doesn't work!

 

Awesome! You better be racing with the UFRA!

 

Awesome! You better be racing with the UFRA!

and at Eagle!!
Still like 120" wheelbase over the 100......
mines 130 and I like it

 

UFRA, heck ya, I need someone to play with.
Eagle too on the to do list, got family near there so I have excuses to go.

 

Just curious as to why you are going with a 9" rear. That seems like over kill for even a well built flattie. They are heavy and will eat up a lot of HP (about 10% I am told). The 8" Maverick is plenty strong and lighter.

 

Great to see another one going together! Just as Carl and Demitri bring it out to Cali when it's finished. I'd love to see you at Eagle. (I'd even give you a couple car lengths. LOL)

 

Great to see another flathead car, It's snowin and blowin out here on my day off so I scaned a couple pics for ya Tim Jones Good luck on your build

 

Looks like a cool project. So, is S&H the name of you and your stepson's new shop?

 

I don't know.....when it's sitting under your nuts overkill doesn't seem so bad

 

the other thing is its easy to get parts for and am in agreement that you want it stout when its between your legs

 

We're using a 9" cause I have it, like Carl said parts are cheap and plentyful and yeah, overkill is good between your legs!
Tinman, yeah, the new shop is called S&H Speed & Custom.
Hey Tim, just a couple leanths? Think I'll probably need more then that, I saw the vidio of you and Carl.
Really looking foward to Eagle, got to do it.

 

When Carl gets that new engine in he wont need a couple.

 

I'm going to have to subscribe to this thread. I've loved following both Carl and Tim build their's! Good luck.

 

Quick update, haven't got as far as I wanted but got sidetracked building a flat motor for a customer, gotta pay the rent ya know and getting too old to stay up late working on it

Got the back half pretty well mocked up, still need the X braces, ect. Not as easy as I thought it would be. Kinda a lot of trial and error when you start from scratch without a blueprint trying to fit you, the drivetrain, the rulebook and how it looks all together in a small package. Since I'm running a 3 speed manual the motor plate ends up a little farther forward then I wanted to look right, made the front look too short, so I'm stretching the wheelbase out another 6" or so to balance it out, going to be around 106" wb. Guess with the old Ford toploader or in and out box the motor sat farther back in the old 50's 90 something wb cars. A little more wheelbase isn't a bad thing anyway. At least tonight I was able to sit down in it, make racing sounds and start mentally planning where everything will need to go so i don't have to go back and make too many changes. I could use some ideas (pictures?) of where to put the shoulder and crotch belt mounts and a battery shutoff switch.



Tomorrow I plan on putting in the front upper bars and spring mount and with a little luck this weekend get the front and rear axles temporary mounted and it might be close to being a roller, sort of.

 

Nothing wrong with racing sounds, kinda gets ya ready......

 

Don't look like I'll get as far as I wanted this weekend of course, forgot to check and ran out of argon. Did get the front upper rails in and built the front spring mount. Set the mount to be around 15% caster and to use a stock Ford spring over axle and undropped axle I have left over from another project where a customer opted to go with a Superbell and new spring. Love it when they don't want the old parts back!

 

metalman, lookin good.It's good to see all the new cars being built.Lookin forward to seeing it run.

 

agreed here , we all know they are unbreakable, however they weigh alot, take alot to get inertia out of , lets face it ,as much as i love the mighty flathead,they arnt the biggest in the world, capacitys of engine size now are bigger and run smaller diffs that hold up fine with far more torque, i bought a dif to suit size and definateky budget, if it breaks which on sure it wont, itl cost me nothndig to get another,and is of course a ford diff, that is the right width, and can get from whereever i like in austrslia,,,,

best regards a tub

 

I'm actually rethinking the 8" v/s 9" thing now that I have it mocked up. That 9" takes up a LOT of room in the driver"s "seat" if you know what I mean. I know I won't have enough HP, torque or tire to hurt a well built 8" and I'm finding out space is a premium in these things. If I thought I'd ever add enough power to hurt the rear I'd live with the 9" but I know if I decide to build that much motor I'll build a new longer, lighter ch***is for it.

 

Looking good so far. Gotta follow this build. One more on my subscription list.

 

metalman, 1st up i just reread what i wrote and thought what the hell my spelling is awful (dam lap top), being that your in states 8 inch is prob cheap enuf and easy to find, here in oz expensive and harder to get, im using a borg warner diff, cost me a whole 100 bucks complete, got 4.11 centre for it for 50 bucks job done, right width for my tub, complete with brakes(drums) it came out of what we have here in late 60s early 70s xw-xy falcon same as gtho phase 3 (shape) popular bathurst race car and worth way too much now $300,000 for originals/genuine, however they came with 9 inch i believe,

and yes size they are smaller and prob fit easier, u can buy whatever hat you like for em here to make em look pretty if you choose, another diff i like is the old cusso diffs, housing looks great at rear just like a 9er and is smaller in size, at end of the day u have to be happy with what you choose, dont get me wrong i still believe as do most 9 inch is the strongest with the most aftermarket bits you can get for any diff, however a quick thought here talk to your local diff spe******ts, i spoke to one a while back when i was picking up some bits and pieces from an engineer here in adelaide south australia and this guy told me he can tuffen up prettywell most diffs if u choose to spend the $$$

good luck with what you decide im sure itl work out for you and thanks for letting me dribble on haha

 

Uh, any updates?????????????

 

Lookin' Good..... And "overkill" is good sometimes !!! Keep us posted........

4TTRUK (in Citrus Heights)

 

Geez, guess I've been a little lazy with the updates! Reality it seems I don't get the time to work on it as much as I'd like. Be busy, we have had a rush of race car work and paying work is good I guess. Other then welding in a couple more bars (ran out of tube of course) the ch***is is done and it's off the frame table. The rear axle plates are in and been working on the front suspension. Plan was today to have it a roller by tonight but I guess I should of locked the door, been a constant stream of people stopping by the shop today. Maybe sometime this week it'll roll.
Looking forward to getting the motorplate/ mounts in and start fabbing all the little things!



FWIW if anyone would be interested in one of these ch***is I got them posted in the cl***ifieds http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=676527
Since I have it saved on my bend-tech software I can build as many as I want quickly now.

 

Couple more pics, far as I got today. Cut up a wishbone I had lying around, welded up a couple bungs for heim ends and wedge cut and welded the other end to give me the extra caster. Mocked it all up, just need to mount the heims to the frame. With some "load" to the axle it looks like my ride hieght will be as planned. Probably will have to pull a leaf or two but won't know till I get all the weight in.

 

lookin good .............. Sometimes I forget that it is good to be retired and not have to think about other peoples projects and concentrate on what I want, not what they want...............

 

It's a roller! Well sort of, least I can roll it around the shop. Gotta get the right tires/ slicks and the rear axles are chopped off stockers stuck in, gotta order axles.


Little more then the specs call for but overkill on the rear axle mount doesn't hurt. Since I narrow my own I could make 360 degree mounting plate instead of the required 180 degree and slide them on before I weld on the ends. I know I'll never have enough power to rip this out.

Yesterday I had the input shaft retainer on the Chevy truck 3 speed turned down to fit the adapter, thought Chevy transmissions were all the same but guess not. Now that i can bolt the motor/ ****** together I can start making motor plates and get them mocked up in the ch***is, can't wait. Wish there were more hours in the day!
Of course yesterday this one came into the shop and it's for sale, killing me. Guess when your poor ya gotta build what you can afford.

 

Great to see progress! That one on the bottom looks great but the Flatty will make yours that much better.